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November hums in shades of brown. Gleaming bronze ripples and glitters in the sussing breeze. Summer's gone and the browns intervene.
Earthy, no-nonsense, fertile brown.
A quiet brown ... a lying-in-wait brown.
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Soft, whispery, feathery beige flutters and shivers in the dying rays of the sun. Waiting and hoping for all that is yet to be done... all that is yet to come.
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The seeds have launched in the late afternoon breeze that tugged them up and told them to fly. Away, away, before its too late. For the winter chill threatens even in a tropical clime, you know.
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A fallen log is cradle enough to cosset a nursery of baby fungi. Furry pale fans timidly brave the wild world and hold it at bay.
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On top of the sky-clawing Mast tree, a pair of tawny Pariah Kites scout with laser eyes. Grounded by that most basic urge, for home, mate, and off-spring; its nesting time for these high-flying aliens.
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And under the leaves, the sapote shivers, for the chill will call and it knows no choice. Cower and hide, or wither and fall.
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Brown can look beautiful too, whispers the butterfly. The Rainbow had no room for it so she gave it to me.
Tawny, russet, sepia, bay
Cinnamon, auburn, amber, hay
Bronze, berry, walnut, tan
Try and top that if you can!
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Butterfly - shutterfly! Are moths any less glorious? Look deep into my caramel eyes and you will see a world of infinite possibilities.
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Weeds are flowers too, as every Psyche knows. The fragrance has faded but the form holds true. "Remember those days?" she sighs, and shivers in delighted reverie.
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"November is ours", confide the mushrooms . Earth-grown, earth-tone, hugging the bones of the dying year.
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We dont forget, murmur the trees. Our dreams take wing in blooms of wooden hue. Deep from our core we wrench them, colour them in the earthern shades of November .
Just so you will remember...
What gorgeous pictures.
ReplyDeleteA lovely journey through the November colours.
ReplyDeleteK.
Thank you, Tina.
ReplyDeleteWhat a poetic post today Sunita. Your photos are gorgeous too!
ReplyDeleteTrust you to see it with an artist's eye, Karen! Glad you could come along for the trip :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Raquel. I surprised myself because brown was never one of my favourite colours. I think I could be changing my mind now.
ReplyDeleteHi Sunita, I am a brown fan... well more like your verse: Tawny, russet, sepia, bay
ReplyDeleteCinnamon, auburn, amber, hay
Bronze, berry, walnut, tan
Try and top that if you can! Seeing all these wonderful hues in the garden is most alluring. You have done a marvleous job of displaying them and your prose is also lovely. Meems
Wow, it was so serene! Yes, serene is the word that popped in my mind by the time I finished your post. The photos and words are so gentle like a breeze. Great!
ReplyDeleteWell, Meems, November looks like your month then .
ReplyDeleteLiving in India, it was always difficult for me to appreciate brown. There was always such an explosion of more vibrant hues to choose from. But, maybe it's the changing season , or maybe I am mellowing but yes, I do begin to see that browns can fascinate too.
Thanks, Chandramouli, that was a wonderful thing to say!
ReplyDeleteSerene? Hmmm, yes, I suppose the mood in my garden is kind of serene right now. Mellow hues, quiet, less frantic .
Hi Sunita,
ReplyDeleteFantastic blog you have here! I'm loving your brown butterfly and brown moth.
sheer poetry.... beatiful
ReplyDeleteThanks, Greenjeans! I wondered whether anyone would notice that brown valentine heart : )
ReplyDeleteThat butterfly is called a Common Crow. Can you imagine! Common? Crow??
The moth fared a little better ... thats an Owlet Moth. I can see the connection, cant you?
Thanks, Magiceye! It always amazes me how much of natural beauty this overcrowded city hides. Or rather, how much is overlooked in Mumbai. Layers upon layers!
ReplyDeleteStunning photographs, Sunita. I'm just beginning to appreciate my brown butterflies so seeing more browns was wonderful! Loved your poetic text too!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
Very poetic Sunita, what a great post! I loved the photos too. It seems our climate is VERY similar I've had our first cool weather here too!! A world apart but so much alike. One big family!
ReplyDelete=)
You're so right about the brown butterflies, Kanak. All of a sudden, I'm beginning to see them all over the place. Apparently they have a wet season look as well as a dry season look.
ReplyDeleteHaute couture for butterflies, whatever next!
Hi Eric...thanks! How cold does it get for you in Florida?
ReplyDeleteIsnt our identical climate amazing? Anyway, now I know... if I have to leave India some day for some reason, at least Florida will suit my tropical blood ( and my garden moods)!
That was lovely. I'd never noticed how like a flower a mushroom can look. I loved what you said about the rainbow and the butterfly.
ReplyDelete--Kate
Thanks, Kate!
ReplyDeleteMmmm ... mushrooms that look like flowers and scallops. Moths that look like owls. Butterflies that look like hearts.
Isn't Nature quirky!
Enchanting and delightful are the shades of November in your garden Sunita. Thank you, such lovely photos and poetry.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment on my SWF.
Thank you, Trudi. You know, I rarely used to notice how good brown looks in my garden. I was always too busy moaning that all my brilliantly coloured flowers were retreating from the first chill winds from the north.
ReplyDeleteHi Sunita,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you visited my blog, and that I found yours. I enjoyed reading all of the posts on the main page. The one on browns was awesome! Here in Nebraska, in the U.S. we have all of those shades, or hues, whatever they are called. Your photos were fun to look at! I especially like the first butterfly, that was kind of shiny.
Congratulations on your blotanical rating!
Hi Sue, I'm so glad you dropped by. I'm sure that squirrel in your blog is one more of the browns, right? He looks a real character!
ReplyDeleteThis is terrific.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm sure the palette of browns is quite a novelty for you after being in perpetually-green Kerala.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good post! Made me think of brown quite differently :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julian! Earlier I used to think of brown only when deciding which chocolate to eat ;D
ReplyDeleteSunita, that's a beautiful lullaby. You make me want to have my own little garden. You lucky, lucky girl!
ReplyDeleteHi Shaheen, its good to see you here again. Your own little garden is well within your reach. Dont let Mumbai's frantic pace stop you. Thats the good thing about lullabies, isnt it? It slows you down just enough to show you beauty where you never noticed it before ; )
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, Sunita. Wonderful capture of your dragonfly and moths!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim. I knew you would like the dragonfly ; )
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! A lovely ode to November and Brown.
ReplyDeleteIt is always a very pleasant feeling to go through your posts; each one is a gem. The words continue to regurgitate in the memory even days after reading your writing.
This is the second post of yours that I've read, and it is as enchanting and unique as the one about the garden tea party.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading more!
Green Thumb, that's a lovely thing to say!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that your garden in Saharanpur is running towards Ol' Man Winter right now. Are your trees losing leaves yet? My garden is cloaked with fallen teak leaves and cashew tree leaves right now.
Thanks, Anne. I'm so glad you liked it. Maybe you could check out my blog archives too?
ReplyDeleteIt'll be great having you drop by again soon. I post at least once a week (and working towards posting more often), so see you soon : )
Very creative prose, Sunita and lovely photos to go with it. I too seemed to develop a new appreciation of brown this autumn.
ReplyDeleteThere's such a wonderful range of names for the brown shades. I especially love those lines in your poem.
It feels like winter here! I don't like it...but spring will come again :)
Oh yes, Kerri. And isnt this the perfect time to dream of your spring garden and all the new plants that are going to be gracing it? So get out all your plant & seed catalogues and start planning.
ReplyDeleteSuper, Sunita!(sorry about the colloquial usage)
ReplyDeleteHey, I love colloquialisms, Raji (so long as they are complimentary ;D )! They add so much 'flavour' to a language.
ReplyDeleteHi Sunita! I didn't know you were a poet! I really enjoyed it and the pictures!
ReplyDeleteBrown butterflies echo the hues of fallen leaves, and they prove that you don't have to be colorful to be beautiful.
ReplyDeletePoet? I dont know about that but 'fanciful', maybe ;D
ReplyDeleteOr maybe its just the changing season?
Glad you liked it, Karla.
Now that's a great thought, Pam. I wish I had said that!
ReplyDeleteBut having said that, wait till you see the beauty I have lined for a future post ( couple of posts down the line, no more. I promise)! She's just too gorgeous!